Apparatus, methods, and devices for magnetic resonance imaging controlled by the position of a moveable RF coil

US6317619A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• U.S. Philips Corporation · US

Inventors

• Peter Boernert · Hamburg, DE
• Tobias Schaeffter · Hamburg, DE
• Steffen Weiss · Eindhoven, NL

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 29, 1999
• Grant date: Nov 13, 2001
• Expiry date: Jul 29, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/58
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Objects of this invention include provision of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging methods, MR apparatus, and radio-frequency (RF) receiving coil devices permitting interactive MR examination of a patient. In particular, this invention includes means for generating MR images by a moveable RF coil which can be moved across a patient during an MR examination. The MR apparatus includes a position detection system which detects the current position and orientation of the moveable RF coil. The coil can be hand held for manual movement or can be attached to mechanical manipulators for controlled movement. The imaging methods determine and generate magnetic gradient and RF pulse sequences to excite nuclear magnetization in a 3D region determined with respect to the current 3D position and 3D orientation of the moveable RF coil. The invention also includes moveable RF coils for receiving and transmitting which are configured and sized for convenient manipulation by an operator. A preferable moveable RF coil assembly includes markers necessary to interact with a particular position detection system, display means for displaying reconstructed images in real-time, and control means for operator e…